Revolving mercury flasher



March 22, 1949 H. E. CORLISS REVOLVING MERCURY FLASHER Filed Dec. '3, 1946 FIG- 51..

NOV

Patented Mar. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REVOLVING MERCURY FLASHER Harris E. Corliss, Jericho, Vt.

Application December 3, 1946, Serial No. 713,779

4 Claims. (01. 200-32) This invention relates to improvements in electric switching devices of the rotary mercury type and particularly to that class of those devices which are used to light and extinguish periodically lamps or groups of lamps, used to produce difierent lighting efiects in electric signs, and which are commonly known as mercury fiashers."

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved device of the class indicated which is characterized by simplicity of structure, reliability in operation, and unusual durability, through the employment of a relatively small number of uncomplicated and rugged parts which cannot readily get out of order and are subject to a minimum of wear and stress during the operation of the device.

Another important object of this invention is the provision in such a device of a completely enclosed and protectively arranged mercury contact mechanism in which the electrical engagement of successive contacts with the mercury takes place out of contact with the air and out of reach of external disturbing factors, and with assured stability of the mercury so as to reduce or preclude poor and arcing contacts at any stages of the engagement.

A still further important object of this invention is the reduction in the number of component structural and operating parts and in the power required to operate the latter, achieved by mounting the rotary mercury switch element on the same rotary shaft as the slip rings which are engaged by brush contactors connected with the various individual or groups of lamps.

Other important objects and advantageous features of this invention will be apparent from the following description and appended drawlugs, wherein merely for purposes of illustration a specific but non-limiting embodiment of this invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation with a portion of the device broken away to show internal struc ture.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken through Figure 1 on the line 2-2.

Figure 3 is a similar section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, section similar to Figure 3, taken on an enlarged scale to show structural details.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the illustrative flasher herein shown and described.

comprises a pair of longitudinally spaced standards 5, 5 adapted to rest upon a suitable support (not showmand including journals 6 at their upper ends in which is rotatably supported a tubular shaft '5 having a suitable driving connection, such as pulley 8 at one end connected by a belt 9, to a motor l0, whereby the shaft i can be continuously rotated at the desired speed.

Distributed in spaced relation along the shaft 1 between the standards 5 are slip rings Ii, fixed thereto by means of insulated elements 12, which have spring pressed radial brushes l3 mounted in holders I4 carried by insulated brackets l5 fixed 'to a horizontal bar 16 supported on and between th front side standards 5 below the shaft ll, each holder having a binding post ll. While five slip rings and brushes are shown, a greater or less number thereof may be used in accordance with requirements.

Mounted outside-the adjacent standard 5 on the end of the shaft ll opposite the pulley B is the rotary mercury switch, generally designated [8, comprising a casting consisting essentially of a disk l9 sleeved at 20 where it is secured to the shaft! and having on its outer side an annular channel 2| having the outer wall 22 and the concentric inner wall 23, between which is confined a tubular ring 24' of some dielectric material, such as rubber, suitable to contain and retain a body of mercury 25 which somewhat less than half fills the ring 24, as shown in Figure 2.

At equal circumferentially spaced intervals around an arc of substantially the switch casing and the tubular ring 24 are traversed by contact members, in this case seven in numher for illustration only. These contact members are herein numbered 26, 21, 28, 29, 30, 3i and 32 respectively, reading counterclockwise in Figure 2. All the contact members except member 3| consist of conductive rods 50 set in insulating grommets in the outer and inner casing channel walls 22 and 23, respectively, as shown in Figure 2, said grommets passing through accommodating openings in the opposite side walls of the mercury chamber ring 2%, the inner ends of the rods extending into the space within the inner channel wall 23, where wires are connected to the rods 50 which lead through the hollow shaft 1 to the various slip rings ll thereon.

In the arrangement disclosed herein each slip ring ll, except one, controls a single lamp such as 36, or a group of lamps corresponding to lamp 36, which is connected in the lead 3'l'from the slip ring, and to a common line 38, forming one side of the lamp current supply. The other side 39 of the current supply is connected to the remaining slip ring, in this case, the extreme right hand slip ring in Figure 1.

Contact member 3| comprises a bar 33 of insulation material having embedded therein four exposed contacts SI, 52, 53 and 54. Each of said exposed contacts is connected by a wire embedded in bar 33 and passing outwardly thereof into the space within the inner channel wall 23 as by a conductor 4| to one of the respective contact bars 21, 28, 29 and 30. As shown in Figure 2, the conductive bars 23 and 32 are connected together by a conductor 40. Conductor 60 is connected to a wire which passes through shaft 1 to the right end slip ring of Figure 1 and thence by a brush l3 to the supply line 39. All of the other contact elements except element 3| are connected by similar wires 42 passing through shaft 1 to respective slip rings ll spaced on said shaft, said Wires emerging from the shaft openings shown at 43 to be connected to the respective slip rings.

Assuming that shaft l rotates clockwise, and that contact element 26 is initially positioned horizontally at the right side of Figure 2, all of the contact elements are out of engagement with the mercury 25 and all lamps are dark. Then subsequent to the immersion of contact element 26 in the mercury contact element 21 is immersed therein. This establishes an energizing circuit for the first lamp or group of lamps, associated with contact element 21. The next lamp group becomes energized as contact element 28 enters the mercury, and a succeeding lamp group becomes energized as each of contact elements 29 and 30 enters the mercury 25, so that the lamps are successively lit until all lamps are lit. Then, as contact element 3| enters the mercury, contact element 26 leaves it at the left side of Figure 2. All lamps are then extinguished until both contact elements 3| and 32 are immersed in the mercury, at which time all lamps are simultaneously lit. The lamps remain lit until contact element 3| leaves the mercury at the left side of Figure 2, at which time all lamps become extinguished. The cycle then repeats itself. The result obtained is summarized thus:

1. One lamp group at a time is lit until all lamps are lit.

2. All lamps are extinguished as contact element 26 leaves the mercury at the left side of Figure 2.

3. All lamps are lit simultaneously as contact element 32 enters the mercury at the right side of Figure 2.

4. All lamps are extinguished as contact element 3| leaves the mercury at the left side of Figure 2.

5. The cycle then repeats itself.

It is obvious that the contact elements may be selectively spaced to light and extinguish the lamp groups at predetermined intervals.

While a specific embodiment of a rotary mercury switching device has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore. it is intendedthat no limitations be placed on the invention other than as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mercury flasher comprising journal-providing support means, a horizontal shaft journaled in said support means for axial rotation,

a plurality of insulated slip rings circumposed on and spaced along said shaft, individual insulated brushes mounted on said support means and electrically engaging the related slip rings, a disk mounted axially on one end of said shaft for rotation therewith, a relatively small annular insulated mercury chamber axially carried by said disk beyond said end of said shaft, said chamber containing a body of mercury substantially fillin the lower half of said mercury chamber, and a plurality of individual contacts extending into the interior of said mercury chamber, said contacts being circumferentially spaced from each other over substantially a semi-circular arc of said chamber so that substantially all of said contacts may be immersed in said body of mercury in certain positions of rotation of said shaft and all of said contacts may be out of contact with said body of mercury in another position of rotation of said shaft.

2. A mercury flasher comprising journal-providing support means, a horizontal shaft journaled in said support means for axial rotation, a plurality of insulated slip rings circumposed on and spaced along said shaft, individual insulated brushes mounted on said support means and elec-, trically engagingthe related slip rings, a disk mounted axially on one end of said shaft for rotation therewith, a relativelysmall annular insulated mercury chamber axially carried by said disk beyond said end of said shaft, said chamber containing a body of mercury substantially filling the lower half of said mercury chamber, a plurality of individual contacts extending into the interior of said mercury chamber, said contacts being circumferentially spaced from each other over substantially a semi-circular arc of said chamber so that substantially all of said contacts may be immersed in said body of mercury in certain positions of rotation of said shaft and all of said contacts may be out of contact with said body of mercury in another position of rotation of said shaft, and said contacts extending radially across said mercury chamber.

3. A mercury flasher comprisin journal-providing support means, a horizontal shaft journaled in said support means for axial rotation, a. plurality of insulated slip rings circumposed on and spaced along said shaft, individual insulated brushes mounted on said support means and electrically engaging the related slip rings, a disk mounted axially on one end of said shaft for rc tation therewith, a relatively small annular insulated mercury chamber axially carried by said disk beyond said end of said shaft, said chamber containing a body of mercury substantially filling the lower half of said mercury chamber, a plurality of individual contacts extending into the interior of said mercury chamber, said contacts being circumferentially spaced from each other over substantially a semi-circular arc of said chamber so that substantially all of:said contacts may be immersed in said body of mercury in certain positions of rotation of said shaft and all of said contacts may be out of contact with said body of mercury in another position of rotation of said shaft, said shaft being hollow and said disk being formed with an opening communicating with the interior of said shaft, and wires leadin from said contacts through said opening and through the interior-of said shaft and electrically connected to the corresponding slip rings.

4. In a mercury flasher, including a plurality of stationary lights, a rotatable shaft, a support for said shaft, spaced and insulated pairs of contacts carried by said shaft and support, each pair of contacts comprising means for transmitting electric current from said shaft to at least one of said lights, the improvement comprising a relatively small annular tube of insulating material fixed to one end of said shaft concentrically thereof for rotation therewith, a body of mercury carried in said tube and partially filling the same, a plurality of spaced contacts carried by said tube and extending inwardly thereof and adapted to be immersed in said mercury in certain positions of rotation of said tube, and leads connecting each contact of said tube to a contact of said shaft.

HARRIS E. CORLISS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

